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Ninety-seven percent of Arizona children vaccinated

Approximately 97 percent of Arizona children are up to date on their shots, but health officials are concerned about the growing number of parents who refuse to get their kids vaccinated.

Arizona Health Director Will Humble said that there are a variety of reasons for parents failing to get their children vaccinated, including economic reasons, being "socially aware" and believing that they are reducing their carbon footprint and those who simply choose not to get their kids a vaccination, KTAR reports.

"The concern is, that if the trend were to continue and we end up at 95, 94 percent, that's the threshold where you see very communicable diseases, like measles, start to spread," Humble said, according to KTAR. "Honestly, we spend most of our energy in public health getting the under vaccinated population up to speed."

Humble's comments came on the heels of a recent U.S. study that said approximately one in every 10 kids is not vaccinated. The survey suggests that there are over two million infants and young children who do not have the recommended vaccines. Some of these vaccines protect against potentially fatal diseases. The survey results were in line with a larger federal survey released in September that showed at least one in 10 toddlers and preschoolers lagged on vaccines, including the MMR and chickenpox vaccines.